Five Hundred Pounds of Mithril
by greensorceress
Summary: AU in which Thorin is the younger son. Thror and Thrain marry Thorin off to Balin as a political match and he is sent to live in Moria. Life is very lonely for the young prince until Balin's wild younger brother comes back from training in the Iron Hills. Suddenly life in Moria doesn't seem so dismal. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters…I wish I did**

**This is an AU where Thorin is the youngest heir and Frerin is the oldest. Smaug never attacks and Erebor is never lost.**

Chapter 1

Thorin felt very nervous. He stood outside of his grandfather's study, his hand poised to knock on the heavy oak door. But he hesitated. It was rare that his grandfather sent for him, in his personal study no less. Being the younger son, Thorin was scarcely noticed by the king, his grandfather. All his attention was devoted to Frerin, the eldest and heir after their father Thrain. Or to Dis; the middle child and daughter, a precious rarity among dwarves.

Of course Thorin was loved and included within the family. But it was unlikely that he would ever be King Under the Mountain and therefore he was given less attention than his siblings. He didn't mind, Thorin had fewer lessons than Frerin and was given considerably more freedom within the mountain. He had a few friends and never lacked company.

Now, standing in front of this door he hardly ever looked upon, Thorin thought of the few times he'd been inside his grandfather's study. There was the time when he was a dwarfling and was brought here with his brother and sister to be told that his mother, the princess had died. Thorin could barely remember, he had been very small and hardly recalled any details of his mother. The second time he was a hardy stripling and had sneaked off to Lake Town with two of his friends. They had spent the day and evening drinking in a tavern, oblivious to the fact that Thorin's father and grandfather had sent half the guard out to find the missing boy, thinking he had been kidnapped. When he was brought to the study to answer for his actions he had received a stern lecture from his grandfather about the appropriate behavior of an heir, and a firm beating from his father.

And that brings Thorin to this time. He stared at the carved wood in front of him and wracked his brain to find a reason why his grandfather would summon him. He hadn't misbehaved in years! What could he have possibly done?

Finally mustering his resolve, Thorin knocked on the door. He waited until he heard the deep voice within: "Enter!" The young prince pushed the door open and walked inside the chamber, trying to convey confidence and hide his nerves. His grandfather sat behind his large desk, stoic and regal. Thrain, Thorin's father, stood slightly behind the king's chair, large and imposing. Both stared at the boy as he came to stand in front of the desk, his chin level and eyes meeting both theirs, one after the other. Thorin waited for his grandfather to speak.

"Thorin, my lad," Thror began, leaning back in his chair and lacing his fingers over his large abdomen. "You will come of age this summer, will you not?"

"Yes, Grandfather."

"You understand that as an heir of Durin it is important that you be wed to someone who will bring honor to our line and help to further the prosperity of Erebor."

Thorin felt his heart sink. "Yes, Grandfather."

"A suitable partner has been chosen for you by your father and myself. You will marry Balin, son of Fundin, on this coming Durin's Day."

"Who is that, Grandfather?" Thorin felt like he was suffocating. He was being married off to someone he had never even heard of!

"He is the Dwarf Lord of Moria, the kingdom lies in the west, in the Misty Mountains. You will be married here in Erebor and after the feast depart for Moria."

"M-Moria? I will live in Moria?" The young prince felt hot and cold at the same time, his hands began to tremble and he clenched his fists to keep them under control.

"Of course you'll live in Moria! You'll be wed to the Lord of Moria! This is a great honor bestowed upon you, my son. Moria's wealth is second only to Erebor: why, you will be positively dripping with mithril." Thrain stepped forward, placing an arm on the back of Thror's chair.

Thorin felt like screaming. He wanted to drop to his knees to beg them not to send him from the only home he had ever known. Instead, he mustered up all his courage and stared back at his grandfather, defiantly.

"I don't want to live in Moria! Erebor is my home, with my family. I don't want to marry this Balin, son of Fu-"

He'd seen the blow coming but didn't have time to brace against it. The back of his father's hand sent him sprawling onto the floor and Thorin instantly tasted blood in his mouth.

"You dare deny your king, little whelp!" Thrain stood over the boy, his fists balled at his sides, his single eye fixed on his youngest son heatedly. "Who do you think you are to refuse the request of your grandfather, of your father? This is your duty and you will honor this house or so help me, Thorin!" His father did not finish his threat, he didn't need to. Thorin knew he was defeated, he bit back his tears and he slowly rose to standing.

Thrain didn't withdraw but instead stayed looming over him, as if to impose his very will merely through his presence alone. Thror stared at the boy with pale, unfeeling eyes, as if he hadn't just witnessed the scene before him.

"Grandson, you will be given your choice of servants and possessions to accompany you to Moria. You will bring a dowry of one thousand pounds of gold. In exchange, the lord of Moria will gift to Erebor five hundred pounds of mithril. Your father and I are highly pleased with this match and believe you will thrive within Moria. Do you accept Balin, son of Fundin as your betrothed?"

His heart told him to fight again, to take his father's beating and insist he was not ready to marry. But he knew it would bring nothing but pain and only prolong the inevitable. The choice had been made for him. Thorin blinked a few times and nodded stiffly, _good little prince. _And so it was settled, the contract was signed by Thror, King Under the Mountain and Thorin, Prince of Erebor. He had been sold. The price for an heir of Durin: five hundred pounds of mithril.

His father chuckled heartily and clapped him hard on the back. Thorin instinctively flinched at the contact, expecting another strike. Thror managed a small smile and dismissed the young prince with a wave of his thick hand.

Thorin turned and left as quickly as he could. He raced down the halls, not caring if he brought notice to himself, if he bumped into guards and nobles. He dashed inside his room and slammed the door shut, leaning against it and sinking to the floor. Finally the tears fell, hot and bitter; he covered his face with his hands and wept for his unknown future.

**Thank you always for reading. I apologize for the short chapter, the next will be longer. Comments are always appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

The Coming of Age ceremonies for an heir of Durin were lavish affairs that had little to do with the newly adult dwarf. Aside from making an appearance at the feasts and publicly accepting the gifts from his family and other noble families within Erebor, Thorin was barely noticed during the weeklong celebration. There was a great feast every evening, followed by a ball that lasted late into the night, and each day began with competitions for hand-to-hand combat, knife throwing, smithing, and all things dwarvish.

Thorin did his duty to appear for dinner each night, and graciously accepted the large war hammer his father gifted to him in front of Erebor's subjects. A war hammer was the traditional gift for a dwarf when he came of age, but Thorin's made him feel bitter about his upcoming situation. When would he have the opportunity to wield his fine new weapon? The husband of the Lord of Moria was unlikely to see battle. As a result of his foul mood, Thorin mostly kept to his rooms during the week. He was scarcely missed by everyone but his sister as there were plenty distractions to keep anyone from noticing the absence of a sullen prince.

While coming of age should have brought him joy and excitement, Thorin had dreaded it all summer. Now he was grown and in just a few short months he would be married to a stranger and on his way to his new home in the west. Thorin felt that his birthday was the beginning of the end of his happiness. On the last day of festivities, the young prince had closed himself up in his room and wasn't surprised when no one even bothered to come looking for him.

It was past midday when someone finally came to visit. Thorin was lying on his bed, absentmindedly flipping through a book when his sister came to sit beside him. He didn't bother to look up and instead kept turning pages without really seeing what they contained. Thorin wasn't angry with Dis; he was just too wrapped up in his own misery to acknowledge his sister. Finally, Dis sighed and began to stroke his hair.

"Why did you not come to the festivities today, brother?" She asked softly as she tucked a stray piece of dark hair behind his ear.

"What does it matter? Apparently I wasn't missed by anyone other than you." He grimaced at his own words; feeling that perhaps he was being a little too childish. However,Thorin couldn't help but notice his older brother Frerin, already on his way to becoming king, hadn't bothered to check on his younger sibling. Thorin had always looked up to Frerin and his inattention stung the sensitive young prince.

"It would have been nice to have you for support," Dis said softly as she tugged one of his braids gently. Thorin could hear the sadness in her voice.

"What do you mean 'support'?" He looked up from his book to see her face somber and crestfallen. "Dis, what is it?"

"My betrothal was announced today at the start of the competitions," she answered softly, still playing with Thorin's braid and avoiding eye contact with her younger brother.

"Betrothal? To whom?"

"Nali, son of Nari. We're to be married in the spring," Dis released his braid and folded her hands in her lap, staring at the floor. Thorin knew he shouldn't be shocked, of course his sister would have to wed; especially considering her younger brother was also betrothed.

"Why didn't you tell me about this before?" Thorin couldn't hide the edge to his voice. He felt betrayed that Dis would have kept this from him. Dis and Thorin had always been close, much closer than he had been with his older, kingly brother; they had never kept secrets from each other and this news hurt. He pushed himself up into a sitting position and looked at her pointedly. She finally turned and met his gaze. Her blue eyes glittered with unshed tears.

"I would have told you sooner, brother, if I had known about it myself. I-I found out about it this morning." Dis' bottom lip trembled for but a moment before she sucked it in, taking a deep breath through her nose.

Thorin understood her pain immediately. It was not the matter of her betrothed. Nali, son of Nari was a kind dwarf the Durin heirs had grown up with. He came from an ancient and extremely wealthy family. Thorin was confident he would be a good husband to his sister, if not maybe a little too mild for her temperament. What was so troubling was that now with both their marriages officially announced, the siblings knew they would most likely never see each other again. Thorin would travel west to Moria, and Dis would go to the Blue Mountains where Nail's family owned several sapphire mines.

The thought that he would possibly never see his beloved sister after his wedding on Durin's Day, mere months away, was too much to bear. Before Thorin realized what he was doing, he had thrown himself into his big sister's arms, choking back a small sob.

Her little brother's tears proved too much for Dis' stoic resolve and she too allowed herself to weep as she held Thorin close. The pair stayed wrapped together until their sobs died down into sniffles before Dis finally pulled back. She wiped the tears from Thorin's face and kissed his forehead softly, giving him a weak smile.

"Well, there's no use staying cooped up here, wallowing in self-pity. Come on brother; let's go nick something sweet from the kitchen!" Dis wiped her eyes and all but hopped off the bed. She walked to the door, turning to wait for Thorin.

The young prince managed a small smile and nodded as he rose to follow her out of the room. He knew she was putting on this façade just for him and he was grateful. They had precious few months left and Dis had made him realize that locking himself away was not the answer. Thorin decided then, as they walked together to the kitchens, that he would enjoy the time he had left with his family and not squander it on self-pity.

/

The following months passed all too quickly but Thorin and Dis managed to spend nearly every waking minute together. They took every meal together, retelling adventures from their youth until long after the food had been cleared away. The pair ran through the halls of Erebor like they had when they were dwarflings, chasing after imaginary dragons and trolls, much to the consternation of their father and grandfather.

Throughout his life, when Thorin felt especially lonely or miserable, he clung to the memories of those months spent with his sister when they were still young and innocent, when life wasn't quite so complicated, as a beacon of hope.

**Thanks for all the positive response I've gotten so far! It will eventually get better, I promise!**

**Thank you to Ella and Jenny for all your help! I love you ladies!**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Balin we meet here is supposed to look similar to the Balin we see at the beginning of AUJ when Smaug attacks. So picture a middle aged Balin with long dark hair.**

Tomorrow was the dwarvish New Year and Thorin's wedding day. The young prince couldn't remember dreading another day more. He'd come of age only three months before and now here he stood with his father, grandfather, and siblings at the gates of Erebor, waiting to greet his future husband.

Thorin felt weighed down by the heavy velvet robes he wore and the golden crown upon his head. His hands were clammy but his throat was dry as he watched with trepidation as the caravan slowly made its way to the entrance of the mountain. It was long and rambling due to wagons laden with gifts, supplies, and of course, the much anticipated mithril. Watching the slow progression of the company, Thorin wished it would both hurry up and never arrive.

Finally the head of the caravan arrived at the gates. A stout dwarf dismounted his dappled grey pony and strode toward the king. He was of average height for a dwarf, with large ears and an even larger nose. Dressed in dark orange robes with gold accents, his hair and beard were a coarse, wiry chestnut brown and both fell nearly to his waist. Thorin noticed that he did not wear many braids in his hair or beard, nor did he wear much jewelry or ornamentation. The young prince never approved of elaborate braids or heavy jewelry, unconsciously associating it with the gaudy style of his father and grandfather; he was pleased to see his betrothed was not as flashy as Thorin's family.

"My King," the dwarf bowed low in front of Thror. "Balin, Lord of Moria, at your service."

"Welcome, Balin, to Erebor," Thror clapped Balin on the shoulder and turned to the others. "My son and heir, the Crowned Prince Thrain," both dwarves bowed to each other. "And my grandchildren, Prince Frerin, Princess Dis, and Prince Thorin."

Balin stepped up to Frerin and both bowed to one another, he bowed to Dis who curtsied and smiled politely. Then stepping over to Thorin, Balin looked into his eyes and smiled kindly. His eyes were dark grey and crinkled around the edges when he smiled. But they appeared kind and soft, lacking Thror's frightening emptiness and Thrain's coldness. Thorin breathed a small sigh of relief at the warm expression on Balin's face.

"Prince Thorin," Balin bowed deeply. "It is good to meet you at last. Balin, at your service."

"My lord Balin," Thorin bowed in response and realized he'd forgotten his carefully rehearsed greeting. He stared with wide eyes at the dwarf before him, trying to remember what he and Dis had practiced for days. He could feel the eyes of his family on him which only served to make him more flustered as be began to fear the repercussions from his father for embarrassing the line of Durin. Finally giving up on ever remembering the proper greeting, Thorin cleared his throat and said quietly, "it is good to meet you as well."

The older dwarf smiled again and turned back to Thror, who lead the party through the gates and into the kingdom. Thorin felt rooted to the spot on which he was standing and prayed the ground would open up and swallow him whole. Dis discreetly slipped an arm around his waist and pulled him along to follow the others.

"He doesn't seem so bad," she mused as they followed several paces behind. "Not nearly as old as I'd heard he was; and I only saw a few wisps of grey in his hair."

"Not really helping, sister," Thorin grumbled as they reached the main hall. She giggled wickedly and disentangled her arm from his waist, tugging one of his braids before turning to the direction of her rooms.

"We won't see any of them again until the feast tonight; I have some fresh sweet rolls in my room," she tilted her head toward the hallway behind her and Thorin couldn't help but chuckle. His sister's insatiable sweet tooth allowed her to think baked goods cured all. Smiling sadly, the young prince followed his sister to her room and her sweet rolls, knowing this was most likely the last time they would have this luxury of spending time together. He pushed the depressing thought aside; there would be plenty of time to dwell on it during his journey to Moria.

/

The feast to welcome Lord Balin was exactly what Thorin expected: a lavish dinner with obscene amounts of food and ale. Wild boar and elk, pheasant and quail, crusty breads and pungent cheeses covered every table. And there were enough sweets and pastries to make even Dis' teeth ache. Of course, all the noble families of Erebor were in attendance, all dressed in their finest and covered in jewels. Thorin was seated on the dais that rose above the other tables with the rest of his family, Balin sat on his right and Thrain on his left, his sister sat several places down and far out of earshot.

Thorin pushed his food around on his plate miserably; he didn't feel like eating, or sitting through this endless dinner. He knew he should try to make conversation with his future husband but had no idea what to talk about. He doubted very much that he and Balin had anything in common. Finally, about halfway through the meal, it was Balin who started a conversation.

"Prince Thorin, I've heard that you are very skilled with both sword and war hammer," he said casually before shoving another large piece of wild boar into his mouth.

"Yes, my lord Balin, I practice with them every day," Thorin perked up at the comment as this was something he could talk about for hours. "I'm also quite good with a battle ax and I've never been pinned in wrestling!" He started to go on but then wondered if it wasn't polite to brag about one's accomplishments to one's betrothed. Thorin had never been courted before and wasn't clear on the etiquette. Balin didn't seem to mind, however, simply chewing his meat and nodding as Thorin talked.

"There is quite an impressive training hall in Moria; not so grand as the training hall of Erebor but you may find it to your liking just the same. My younger brother certainly spent plenty of time in it before he left for the Iron Hills."

Thorin felt his brief, light mood instantly drop at the mention of Moria. He smiled politely and nodded but made no further effort to speak. Balin seemed content to eat and for several minutes said nothing as well. After draining his mug of ale, he turned to the young prince again.

"Have you learned much smithing, Prince Thorin? Is it customary in Erebor for heirs to learn metalwork?"

"Yes, my lord Balin. I enjoyed working with precious metals, gold, silver… mithril," the word tasted sour on Thorin's tongue.

"I would like to see some of your handy work. My younger brother is very skilled at metalwork, he made this bead for me before he left," Balin held out one of his few braids to show the small mithril bead on the end. Thorin leaned forward slightly to get a better look; it was truly one of the finest beads he'd ever seen. Suddenly he felt his skill lacking in comparison to such a perfect specimen.

"Uh…my sister wears a necklace of silver I made for her, it is set with sapphires, my lord Balin," Thorin mumbled as he gestured toward Dis at the other end of the table.

"Please, just Balin," the older dwarf smiled kindly. "I fear it would be improper to leer at your sister from across the table, I will have to find a better time in which to admire her necklace, my Prince," his grey eyes twinkled somewhat mischievously and Thorin couldn't suppress a small smile.

"Please, just Thorin," he responded, feeling more relaxed than he had since the day had started.

**Thanks for reading! As always, comments and reviews are welcomed and appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 4

The entire day had gone by in a blur. Thorin was awakened early by several servants who pulled him from bed to be washed and dressed in his wedding finery. His breakfast had been delivered to his room while one of the servants twisted his long dark mane into the complicated braids Thorin detested. The braids were tradition, he'd been told when he objected; and the young prince had sullenly eaten his eggs while all manner of mithril beads were attached to the intricate plaits.

The clothing Thorin was dressed in was made of the finest silk and dyed a dark blue, trimmed in silver thread and grey wolf fur. His heavy silver belt weighed nearly as much as the ornamental sword hanging from it and his boots had been polished so brightly that Thorin imagined he could see his reflection in them. The heavy crown upon his head did not make him feel any more comfortable as he had stridden down the long hall toward the throne room and his wedding.

/

Thorin could barely stay focused throughout the ceremony, it was long and boring and the chaplain droned on for what felt like hours. Balin stood beside him looking very noble in dark red robes with black trim. His long brown hair was still mostly unadorned save for the few braids signifying his status as a Dwarf Lord. Letting his eyes wander, Thorin took in his family; Thror upon his throne, looking like he might doze off at any moment, Thrain standing proud and very smug beside his father. Frerin stood next to Thrain, looking very bored and disinterested. Then there was Dis, beautiful Dis, sniffling softly into a lace handkerchief and attempting to find comfort against Frerin's unforgiving arm. Thorin felt his own eyes sting as he watched Dis wipe her tears and he quickly looked away, focusing instead on the other guests in attendance. It seemed as if every noble family from Erebor and the Blue Mountains were there to witness the wedding of the prince, as well as many nobles from Moria and the Iron Hills as well.

Thankfully he managed to remember what he was required to say during the exchanging of the vows, unlike yesterday. But Thorin sighed, feeling disheartened, as Balin slipped the mithril ring onto his finger. Ever since his engagement had been made known to him, Thorin had hated mithril and everything it represented to him. Now he would be made to wear it as a constant the reminder of the price paid for his body and title.

The words had been spoken, the rings exchanged, and now Thorin was bound to a dwarf he had known for less than a day.

/

The wedding feast was everything one would imagine for the line of Durin, far more splendid and decadent than the dinner of the previous night. Thorin knew from attending wedding feasts in the past that it would last until late into the night. He and his new husband were seated in the middle of a long table, per tradition they were the only two at the table, the rest of it left empty for wedding guests to deposit there gifts to the new couple. Before dinner was halfway over the table was overflowing with golden platters and goblets, axes and daggers, jewels of every color, heavy furs and fine silks. Thorin and Balin were barely able to exchange more than a few words with each other due to the endless parade of guests showering them with congratulations and well wishes.

As the hour grew later, Thorin began to feel somewhat nervous. He had heard rumors of the things that occurred on wedding nights but was still very clueless as to what took place. He and Dis had tried looking the subject up in Erebor's library but only found books with rather complicated pictures. The books had done little to assuage their fears and had left them more confused than they had started. Now, as time ticked away, the young prince grew more and more antsy; he drank more than normally would and was soon feeling very tipsy.

As Thorin was finishing his second piece of wedding cake and his eighth ale, two boys around his age appeared at his side. They were both dressed in light colored silks with kohl around their eyes and wore braids even more intricate than Thorin's wedding braids. The young prince recognized them to be eunuchs; he had seen them present at the ceremony earlier as well as other weddings in the past. Thorin didn't know much about their purpose at weddings aside from hearing them referred to as 'The Witnesses,' he assumed that since they had witnessed the exchanging of the vows earlier their job should be done and was therefore surprised when they arrived at his table.

"Prince Thorin, are you ready to go?" The taller boy asked after they both had bowed before him.

"Go where?" Thorin stared at them confusedly.

"To your room, my prince, to begin your wedding night," the second responded, smiling pleasantly as if it were the most natural thing in the world to say.

Thorin shifted in his seat and looked over to Balin, only to realize that his husband had slipped away without him noticing! Where had he gone? Wasn't he supposed to accompany Thorin? Reluctantly, he rose from the table and followed the two young eunuchs from the hall. His departure was met with cheers and wolf whistles and the prince wished he had drunk more ale to dull his embarrassment.

/

Once inside his bedroom, the eunuchs took Thorin's hair down from his plaits, brushing until it hung in shiny, loose waves down his back. When finished with his hair, they removed his heavy clothing and dressed him in a silk nightshirt; it was a soft cream color and trimmed in golden thread. Next they led Thorin to his bed but he stopped short and refused to get in, he had a strange feeling about what was going to happen.

"What are you doing?" He asked, trying to squirm out of their grasp.

"Preparing you, my prince," one of them answered, "according to tradition. Hasn't this been explained to you, Prince Thorin?"

"Um…well, my sister and I tried to look it up in the library," Thorin mumbled sheepishly. The boys exchanged looks with each other before the taller smiled sweetly at him.

"My prince, tradition dictates that you, being the younger and the virgin of the pair should be prepared by The Witnesses for your claiming. The reason for this preparation is so that your husband does not take the time to do so and can more quickly…sheath his sword." He led Thorin to his bed and gently coaxed him to lie down on his back.

"I don't understand. My claiming?" Thorin was beginning to feel very nervous and again wished he'd drank more ale when he'd had the chance.

"Yes Prince Thorin," the shorter eunuch said as he lifted Thorin's nightshirt up around his hips, revealing his naked lower half. Thorin squeezed his eyes closed in embarrassment. "Your husband will claim you physically when he takes you tonight, when you consummate your marriage before The Witnesses," he gently spread Thorin's thighs, making the young prince feel even more exposed.

"Wait, does that mean you're going to…going to watch?" Thorin felt the cold burn of nervous adrenaline in his chest.

"I apologize, my prince, that this was not communicated to you earlier. Did your father explain nothing of your wedding night to you?"

Thorin shook his head and closed his eyes again as he felt the sting of tears. Why did his father not bother to tell him that his first time would be witnessed? Why was he told nothing but that this was his duty to his kingdom? With his eyes closed he did not see the look the two boys exchanged with one another. It was careless and shameful for a family to send an inexperienced virgin to his or her marriage bed with no clue as to what would happen. No doubt Thrain had thought the task beneath him but also hadn't bothered to assign it to anyone else.

"It will be alright, Prince Thorin," one of them said as softly as he poured oil onto his hand, "your husband seems kind and we are certain he will be gentle with you." Placing the oiled finger between Thorin's legs, he slid them slowly along the prince's cleft. Thorin tensed at the touch but then felt another hand rubbing circles soothingly into his hip.

"Vary here is quite skilled at preparations, my prince, he will make sure you are stretched enough that it won't hurt so much." Thorin nodded and kept his eyes shut, too embarrassed to open them and face the two dwarves he was so exposed to. He winced more in surprise than in pain when the first finger breeched him.

/

True to their word, Vary had been very skilled and had prepared Thorin with almost no discomfort. Not long after Vary had finished and helped Thorin to rise to a sitting position there came a knock on the door. The other eunuch opened the door and Balin stepped into the room. He no longer wore his wedding finery and was dressed in only a dark red tunic and black breeches. His long dark hair and beard hung free of braids and beads.

"Good evening Thorin," he said softly as he approached the bed. "Are you feeling alright? Are you ready for this?" He asked in a way that made Thorin feel Balin would not proceed if Thorin said he wasn't ready. It made him feel a little more relaxed and he nodded in response.

Balin sighed and climbed onto the bed, facing him. Thorin looked around the room to notice the two eunuchs had taken places on either side of the bed, each standing a few feet away from the edge of the mattress. Taking in a shaky breath, Thorin looked up at Balin for guidance for he had no idea what to do next.

"Turn around lad; and rise up on your hands and knees," Balin gave him a small apologetic smile as he spoke. Thorin did as he was told and tried not to tremble when he felt his nightshirt pushed up over his hips. "This is going to hurt, but I promise that after it's over I will never hurt you again," there was such sadness and regret in Balin's voice that Thorin could only nod in return.

Thorin felt stretched beyond capacity as his husband entered him and bit his lip to keep from crying out. The burn went deep and instinct made him want to crawl away from the pain but he mustered his strength and remained still, gritting his teeth.

"Relax Thorin," Balin whispered when he was fully seated inside, "just try to relax and it will get easier." The young prince took in a deep breath and tried to relax but he felt every muscle in his body was pulled tighter than a bowstring. A few more deep breaths and Balin remaining perfectly still helped Thorin to finally relax enough for Balin to start moving.

Though he tried to not cry out, Thorin couldn't help the whimper that escaped his lips as Balin began thrusting in a steady rhythm. He didn't dare look to either side for fear of making eye contact with The Witnesses and instead tried to focus his attention on the patterned embroidered in the pillowcase below him. He blinked away tears that he knew were caused by the humiliation of feeling eyes upon him during this most intimate act more than from the discomfort.

It wasn't long before Balin's thrusts became erratic and after one last particularly hard thrust that made Thorin finally cry out in pain, he felt a warm wetness filling his abused channel. He could hear Balin panting softly behind him and felt his hand gently stroking Thorin's back and hip before he gingerly slipped out. Thorin instantly felt dirty and befouled as he felt the wetness leaking from his hole onto his thighs.

Lowering himself down onto the bed slowly, Thorin stretched out onto his stomach and stared straight ahead, focusing on nothing. He didn't know what to do next and wasn't sure how he felt about what had just happened. He was relieved it was over but still felt like he might burst into tears at any moment. Balin sat on the bed next to him and petted Thorin's hair softly; Thorin noticed that he was still fully dressed. He hadn't even bothered to take off his clothes.

"I am sorry for hurting you Thorin, and I swear to the Maker I will never hurt you like that again," He patted Thorin's shoulder gently as he rose. "I will return to my rooms now and let you rest. We'll see each other in the morning. Goodnight, sweet lad."

As he walked across the room Thorin rolled onto his side and up onto an elbow. He felt he should say something as he hadn't spoken a word since Balin had entered the room but all he could think of was, "goodnight, husband."

Balin turned at the door when he heard Thorin speak. He smiled kindly and bowed before closing the door behind him. When he was gone the eunuchs were quickly by Thorin's side, coaxing him from the bed with gentle hands.

"You did very well, beautiful prince," the shorter one cooed as he led Thorin toward his bathing chamber.

"Your servants have prepared a nice hot bath, Prince Thorin; it will make you feel better. We shall leave you alone and report the consummation to the court at once."

Stripping Thorin of his nightshirt, they helped him into the steaming tub before leaving and closing the door behind them. Hissing when the hot water reached his tender entrance, Thorin sank into the water until it touched his chin. He sat there for a long while in the solitude of the room before the tears became too heavy and spilled from his eyes.

He left himself weep freely now, with no one around to hear or see. He cried because there was no turning back, because tomorrow he would leave his home forever. And as he wept a thought occurred to him; a thought that made him laugh bitterly through his tears. Balin had not bothered to kiss him. He had been bedded tonight, had lost his virginity, but had not yet had his first kiss.

**Please don't hate me! It could have been much worse! Remember that this Thorin is extremely OOC, he is young, sheltered, and inexperienced. Also, some may feel this was dub-con but if you remember, Thorin felt that if he'd said no that Balin would not have bedded him. **


	5. Chapter 5

The wedding celebration still raged on in the dining hall but Thorin hoped that his sister had already retired to her rooms. He padded down the hall to her room with bare feet, not passing a single guard on the entire trip and making it to Dis' room totally unseen.

Reaching her door, Thorin used the secret knock they had created as children: _three quick knocks, pause, two slow knocks, pause, three quick knocks. _Admittedly, it wasn't a very clever sequence but they had been very small dwarflings when the knock was thought up and it had lasted over the years. He waited for a moment and soon heard shuffling within the room. Dis quietly opened the door wearing her nightgown and a heavy blue robe, she smiled when she saw her brother and quickly ushered him into the room.

"What are you doing here, Thorin," she asked, crawling back into bed and patting the spot next to her. "Shouldn't you be with…your husband?" Thorin climbed into bed and snuggled up next to his older sister as he had done on countless nights when he had had a nightmare or when his father's fist had left him to shaken to sleep.

"I-I've already been with him, he went back to his room when it was over," he whimpered into her shoulder. Dis sighed and stroked his ebony hair, feeling Thorin tremble slightly against her.

"I am sorry, brother," she said, gently tugging a lock of his hair that was usually braided. Thorin hadn't bothered to rebraid it after the eunuchs had freed his hair from its wedding style.

"Don't be," he replied quickly, raising his head to look at her with glassy eyes. "It's given me a chance to spend one more night with my best friend," Thorin's voice trembled slightly when he said the last three words but he took a deep breath and pulled himself together. He didn't plan on wasting the last night with his sister by crying like a baby. Dis smiled at him as a single tear escaped her blue eyes and rolled down her cheek.

"I had some wedding cake brought up for later," she said slyly, as if he would be surprised. "Would you like some?"

Thorin grinned and nodded, sitting up against her headboard as she went to fetch the cake. He knew he needed to tell Dis what had happened earlier, she was just as clueless as he had been about the claiming. He couldn't let his sister go to her marriage bed as uninformed as he had been; he had to tell her everything, about The Witnesses, the act itself, the discomfort. But the last thing he wanted to do was frighten his sister, and besides, maybe it was more enjoyable for woman, he thought. Thorin decided to present it to her gently in the hopes that she would not be nervous or fearful when her time came. When she returned with two thick slices of cake he leaned forward conspiratorially and whispered, "So, would you like to hear about what happens on a wedding night?"

/

Dis woke Thorin before dawn so he could slip back to his room before the servants arrived. It wouldn't do for a rumor to spread the day after a royal wedding that one of the grooms spent the night in his sister's bed!

When Thorin arrived in the dining hall for breakfast he saw that he was one of the last to arrive, aside from his older brother who was likely sleeping off an epic hangover. As he approached the table his grandfather raised his cup in a toast.

"To the boy who united Erebor and Moria! Well done, grandson!"

"Thank you, grandfather," Thorin murmured as he made his way to an empty seat. Thrain affectionately slapped him hard on the back as he passed, causing Thorin to wince.

"A boy no longer, father! Not after last night, eh Thorin?" Thrain nudged him in the ribs and Thorin blushed scarlet. The two older men chuckled, and Thorin wished the mountain would cave in and bury them all.

He slunk away from his father and took a seat next to Balin, who had not acknowledged the crude comments of the other dwarves.

"Good morning, Thorin," he smiled as his young husband took the seat beside him. "We've a long day ahead of us; I hope you were able to get plenty of rest last night."

"I got some rest, thank you," Thorin replied, thinking about the hours he and Dis spent talking in her room. "When will we depart?"

"As soon as you have said all your good-byes. We'll travel the entire day and make camp at sunset, it's a long road to Moria and we'll want to cover as much ground as possible each day."

"Of course," Thorin said softly. Now that he was thinking of saying all his good-byes he suddenly wasn't hungry.

/

Most of his good-byes were not as hard as he had feared. Thorin was a prince after all and schooled in the ways of diplomacy. He convinced himself that the farewells of his friends were only temporary since he invited each to visit him whenever they could spare the time. The chances of any of them making the journey to the Misty Mountains was unlikely but the thought that they may one day visit helped Thorin say good-bye to friends he had known since he was a dwarfling.

His father and grandfather were not difficult to leave. Thorin still resented Thror for selling him into marriage for the sake of political alliance. His grandfather clasped his shoulder and Thorin bowed to the ancient dwarf knowing the next time he was likely to see him would be when Thror's body was being buried in stone.

Thrain pulled his youngest son into a bone crushing hug before looking at him with his one remaining eye. "You've made me very proud, boy," he said with as much sincerity as Thrain ever managed. _If I'd known all it took to earn your respect was to marry, I would have done so decades ago, _Thorin thought bitterly.

His brother gave Thorin a quick hug and a kingly bow. The young prince couldn't help but feel saddened by the fact that he and Frerin had grown apart as they had grown older. Thorin would have liked to have remained close to his older brother, as they had been when they were younger; but he knew now as he said good-bye to the dwarf who would one day be King Under the Mountain that it was most likely too late.

Now the only one left was Dis, sweet, wonderful Dis. As Thorin came to stand in front of his beloved sister he felt as if he's knees might buckle. She gazed at him with the same tearful eyes he'd seen many times before. Eyes that refused to let the tears fall, refused to outwardly show her pain.

Thorin threw his arms around Dis and squeezed her tightly, breathing in the scent of her hair one last time. When he pulled away she smiled and dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief before producing a thick stack of envelopes from within a dress pocket. Thorin took the bundle and looked at her curiously.

"I wrote you a letter for each day of your trip. It will take you a full moon's turn to travel to Moria, you will have a letter for each night," she smiled as one rogue tear escaped her sapphire eyes and splashed onto her bodice. "But you must promise me that you'll only read one new letter per night. I'll write more once…once you've gone."

"I promise," he whispered and pulled her in for another hug. "I love you so very much."

"And I love you, my dear little brother. I hope that you will find happiness in your new home," with that Dis turned away quickly. She reached for her handmaiden and was quickly led away from the gates, her shoulders shaking as she leaned against the other dwarf. Thorin felt part of his heart walking away with her.


	6. Chapter 6

The journey to the Misty Mountains was long and very slow. The caravan moved just as slowly as it had on the way to the Lonely Mountain thanks to the wagons laden with a thousand pounds of Erebor gold. Thorin's little white pony trotted alongside Balin's dappled grey near the front of the company as the young prince took in the new and foreign scenery. Thorin had never travelled beyond Lake Town and the exciting new terrain helped lift his brooding mood.

For at least half of each day Thorin would dismount and walk alongside his pony, giving himself a chance to stretch his legs. The caravan travelled the full length of every day and set up camp at sunset; Thorin had been given his own large tent complete with a copper tub for bathing and coal stove to chase away the chill of the plains. Every night he expected Balin to join him, if not for his nightly rites then at least to share Thorin's bed while they slept. But every night he did not see his husband past dinner in the dining tent.

He wasn't disappointed that Balin had not tried to have relations with him, in fact he was relieved; but Thorin did find it odd that they did not at least share the same bed. Of course, his husband was always kind to him, riding alongside the young prince, explaining what part of Middle Earth they were crossing into, pointing out this type of rock or that interesting mineral formation. And each night, when Thorin retired for the evening, Balin would pull his face down and kiss Thorin's forehead softly, like one would kiss a child.

Then Thorin would find himself alone in his tent, with nothing but his sister's letters for company. He had kept his word, reading only one new letter per night. But he also reread the other letters from previous days until he knew most of their contents by heart. There was nothing terribly exciting in Dis' letters, observations about dwarves within the mountain: _Did you see Wylet's beard today? It's more unruly than her husband's! Where is her pride in her facial hair? _There were fond childhood memories: _Do you remember Frerin's Coming of Age celebration when I entered the hammer toss and came in second place? The look on our brother's face! _And the hopeful musings of an innocent girl: _Nali sent me a sapphire as big as my fist; it arrived wrapped in silk with a note that said he thought it matched the color of my eyes. Do you think I will be happy with Nali, dear brother? I hope you will find happiness in Moria. Balin seems gentle and kind; I pray to Mahal that he takes care of you._

Many nights on the journey Thorin fell asleep with the letters clutched to his chest, and tears glittering on his cheeks.

/

Dis had been correct in her estimation of their journey taking a full moon's turn. When the company finally arrived at the gates of Moria, they had travelled through several days of snow and Thorin felt chilled to the bone. All he wanted to do was be shown to his room and curl up in his new bed; but he knew dwarvish custom and suspected there would be a feast in honor of Balin's return. Thorin was not likely to go to sleep until late in the night and the thought made him all the more weary.

Upon entering his new home, the young prince couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed. Moria was not quite as large as Erebor which Thorin had expected; but what he did not expect was the drabness of the dwarvish city. Where Erebor's walls gleamed in emerald granite, Moria was carved in dull, pale grey stone. And while Erebor's halls and stairs were ornately carved and glittered with seams of gold, Moria was far less adorned, the halls and stairs simply carved without flourish. The entire place gave off a very depressed feel to Thorin.

The feast welcoming Balin and his new husband home was everything Thorin expected, although far less lavish than the feasts of Erebor. It lasted well into the early morning hours but Thorin only managed to make it until just past midnight; he was bone tired from the journey caught himself nodding off at the table several times. As he stood to leave, Balin rose as well, offering his arm to Thorin and leading him from the hall.

_He must be going to bed me again, _Thorin thought as they made their way through the halls toward their adjoined chambers. He felt nervous at the thought of being taken again and the pain it would involve, but at the same time he felt a small amount of excitement at being truly alone with his husband for the first time in their marriage.

But when they arrived outside Thorin's bedroom door, Balin pulled his face down and kissed Thorin's forehead as he had done each night on their journey. He patted Thorin's cheek gently and said softly, "goodnight, sweet lad."

Thorin felt terribly confused as Balin turned to leave. Had he disappointed his husband in some way? Did Balin not find him pleasing?

"Do you not wish to share my bed tonight, husband?" Thorin asked quietly, feeling color rise to his cheeks. Balin turned and smiled at the young prince.

"I've been travelling for two months, Thorin, I'm very weary. I would imagine you are as well," he reached out and squeezed Thorin's shoulder affectionately. "Get some rest tonight, tomorrow I will give you a tour of your new home."

Thorin felt disappointed but nodded nonetheless. He stepped inside his rooms as Balin turned again to leave. His belongings had been brought in while he was at the feast and his large bed was turned down and beckoning him. Thorin sighed and crawled in between the blankets and furs; the room was well appointed as one would expect for a prince of the Durin line, but it felt empty and lonely. Thorin knew only one dwarf in the entire mountain, and he seemed to have no interest in sharing the young prince's bed. Rolling onto his side, Thorin curled into himself, bringing his knees up to his chest, and gradually fell into a deep exhausted sleep.

**I apologize for the short chapter but I felt the need to end it here otherwise I won't update for another month trying to get this chapter right. The next will be longer, promise. **


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